Eva's Deadline

Eva smiled indulgently. “Thanks, Eileen, I’ll make a note of that.”

Mark turned Sasha around to face Eva. “You remember Eva from Mr. Seb’s memorial, don’t you, honey?”

Sasha beamed her luminous blue eyes on Eva. “Yes, I ’member.”

“I remember you, too,” Eva said. “How are you today?”

“Fine. I have a new purse.” She pointed to the purse hanging over her arm.

“Very nice. It matches your outfit. I bet pink’s your favorite color.”

“Uh-huh.” Sasha grinned shyly.

“She always has to be color-coordinated.” Eileen favored her charge with a smile. “Not like me,” she added, pointing to her orange blouse and red cardigan sweater.

“I like my outfits to match, too.” Eva gestured at her brown shirt and slacks.

“You look pretty,” Sasha said.

“Why, thank you.”

“Hey, Sasha, I thought I heard your voice.”

April Hensen, clutching a piece of paper in her hand, entered the room. Her flip-flops slapped across the floor as she headed for Mark’s desk. Leaning down, she gave Sasha a hug.

As April straightened, her free hand brushed Mark’s shoulder in a gesture that seemed intentional, rather than accidental. April always seemed to hover around Mark. Were they more than boss and employee?

Mark and April’s relationship was no business, or concern, of hers.

“Here’s the flyer for the picnic.” April laid the paper on Mark’s desk. She looked around wide-eyed. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

“No problem, April.” Mark lowered Sasha to the floor and turned his attention to the paper April had brought.

Sasha danced over to Eva. “Are you coming to the picnic?”

“What picnic is that?”

“The Fourth of July picnic. Huh, Daddy?” Sasha looked to Mark for confirmation.

Mark sat back in his chair. “Right, sweetie.” He looked at Eva. “It’s at the City Park and sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce. The entire town is invited. We’re including these flyers in the next edition of the paper.” He tapped the sheet in front of him. “We’re covering the event, of course.”

“You have to come,” Sasha said. “There are games and prizes and fireworks!”

Eva didn’t want to spend the Fourth of July—or any holiday—in Willow Beach. This occasion would be a good time to take Susan up on her invitation to stay in Seattle. “Yes, the picnic’s always been a popular celebration. It sounds like fun, but I plan to go home that weekend.”

Sasha’s brow wrinkled. “Home?”

“To Seattle. That’s where I really live.”

“Eva’s only here in Willow Beach for a year,” Mark said. “Then she’s going back to her home in Seattle.” He turned back to Eva. “But about the picnic—you’re writing the Our Town column, right?”

“Yes, but—”

“And doesn’t the picnic sound like an event for your column?”

“Ordinarily. But it’s the Fourth of July. Won’t that rate a front-page feature? And wouldn’t that be you?”

She glanced at the others. Eileen and April had their gazes glued to Mark, anticipating his answer. Even Sasha, who’d been fussing with her purse, was now focused on her father.

Mark folded his arms and glared at Eva. She set her jaw and glared back.

Seconds passed. Finally, he shrugged. “Go to Seattle. We’ll get along just fine without you.” He turned away and shuffled some papers on his desk.

“I’d already made plans before I knew about the picnic,” she felt obliged to say. True enough, even though she hadn’t yet checked with Susan to see if that weekend would work for her, too. But Susan had said to come anytime, hadn’t she?

“I wish you could come to the picnic,” Sasha said.

“Never mind, honey.” April patted Sasha’s shoulder. “We’ll have a good time.”

Eileen grasped Sasha’s hand. “We need to go, honey. We don’t want to be late for your ballet lesson.”

“Bye, Sasha.” Eva waved. “Nice to see you again.”

“Bye.”

After Sasha and Eileen left, Mark turned to April. “Was there something else, April?”

“I need to talk to you.” She rolled her eyes and tipped her head in Eva’s direction.

Seizing the blatant hint as a chance to escape, Eva stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get to work.”

* * *

“HAVE A SEAT, April.” Mark nodded at the chair Eva had vacated.

April sidled to the chair and perched on the edge. The slight flush to her normally pale complexion sent tension rippling across his shoulders.

“What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“I, um, thought you and Sasha might want to come to my place for dinner tonight. I’m making spaghetti, and my housemate has a night class at the junior college.”

Yep, as he’d suspected, her reason for lingering was personal. “That’s nice of you, April, but I’ll be working late. I’ll only have time to grab a bite at the deli.”

April’s forehead wrinkled. “Sasha could come, though, couldn’t she? She and I always have fun together.”

“Sorry, I’ve already arranged for her to have dinner at Eileen’s.”

April lowered her gaze and shifted in her chair. “I hope things between us won’t change now that Eva is here,” she said in a low voice.